French Mantel Clock Allegory of Love, Paris, 1815

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Description

Antique french mantel clock - allegory of love

paris
ormolu
circa 1815

dimensions: h x w x d: 45 x … Read more Antique french mantel clock - allegory of love

paris
ormolu
circa 1815

dimensions: h x w x d: 45 x 35 x 13 cm

:
antique french mantel clock as an allegory of love.

set amidst an idyllic riverside landscape with reeds, tree stumps and small waterfalls, a young woman dressed in antique-style clothing sits upon the clock case. Her longing gaze is fixed upon two swans swimming in the water.
the depiction can be interpreted as a symbol of her longing for what swans have represented since antiquity: fidelity, lifelong love and marital devotion.

although the darkly patinated swans do not form the focal point of the composition, they are nevertheless at the heart of its allegorical message. The motif is repeated on the outer sides of the plinth, where two swans facing each other can be seen on each side.
on the front, a finely crafted relief depicts playful cupids aiming their arrows of love at the swans, thus portraying the theme of love in a light-hearted manner and with childlike innocence.

at the centre of the bronze scene, we see the white-enamelled dial with black roman numerals and a minute track drawn with the finest brushstrokes. The hand-sawn, gilded hands are stylistically well suited to the early 19th century. Beneath the two winding holes for the movement and striking mechanism, we find the clockmaker’s signature: collin à paris.
the movement is a typical french pendulum movement. When fully wound, it runs for just under two weeks. It strikes a bell on the half-hour and full hour. The pendulum is suspended by a thread, as was typical of the period, and is regulated from the front by means of a small square pin above the xii.

condition:
the clock is in an absolutely desirable condition.
the bronze has been carefully cleaned. The movement has been completely dismantled, cleaned and serviced.

this clock is pictured in the specialist literature:
elke niehüser - die französische bronzeuhr - eine typologie der figürlichen darstellungen fig. 499

you can find out more about the collin family of clockmakers in the following directory:
tardy - dictionnaire des horlogers français p. 136 this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less